chase



(N0 Model.)-

{LL-CHASE;

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Feb; 28,

N. PETERS Phmo-umogn her. Washington. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEE L. CHASE, OF SWANTON, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO FLETCHER TARBLE, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,111, dated February 28, 1882.

Application filed January 9, 1882.

- Vermont,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Oar Couplings; and I do hereby declare the same to be described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a front View, and Fig. 3 a vertical and longitudinal section, of my improved coupling as applied to the body of a railway-car.

The nature of my invention is defined in or by the chain or chains hereinafter presented.

In the drawings, A denotes a draw-head fixed to the platform not a car-body, B. This draw-head has extending horizontally across its mouth I) a doubleinclined partition, 0, as shown, through which is a horizontal aperture or passage, d, for reception of a draw-link, O. The said link projects from a suitable arm or carrier, 0, which grasps it at its rear part, and is pivoted to the draw-head or shankf thereof. The link is free to tilt or play vertically on or in the partition, and is arranged directly between two hooked or catch levers, D D, arranged, as shown, in the draw-head, and fulcrumed thereto.

To the rear arms of the catch-levers D D two cross-bars, g, are fixed, they being connected by four links, h, withtwo crank-wheels, i, fixed on a horizontal rock shaft, k, that extends through the draw-head, and at its ends is provided with handles 1, arranged to extend vertically upward. In the place of a single shaft, as described, there may be one shaft to each crank-wheel.

Each catch-lever D has a spring, 8, fixed to its longer arm and bearing against the drawhead, such spring being to move the said lever so as to cause its catch or hook to engage with a link when the latter is forced end wise against such hook. Furthermore, there is a lever, m, fulcrumed to the front end of the carriage, and connected at one end by a link,'n, to the upper cross-bar, g, the said lever at its other end being jointed to a litter or rod, 0, extending up to the roof of the car and arranged in one or more suitable staples or guides, 17. To the car there may be applied a turn-button, p, or other suitable device for supporting the lifter in its highest position, the turn-button in such case being turned into a notch,-q, in the rod. By pulling the said rod upward, or by taking hold (No model.)

of either of the handles Z and moving it forward, the pair of catch-levers will be moved so as to move their hooks apart from one another and disengage one of them from the link in action with it, such being in order to uncouple the cars.

To effect either coupling or uncoupling of the cars it will not be necessary for a person to go between them, and thus with my invention or improved coupling persons are not liable to be crushed or injured between and by the cars during the process of either coupling or disengaging them.

When two cars provided with my improved couplings are to be coupled one of them is to be moved up to the other, so as to cause the link of each to enter the mouth of the drawhead of the other and to couple with one of its catch-levers, from which it will be seen that when the two cars are coupled they are connected by the two links, and that to effect the pncoupling of such cars both sets of catch-levers have to be moved in a manner to disconnect the links with the catch-levers in engagement with them.

By having each link supported by an arm, and capable of tilting in or playing vertically in its draw-head, the link may be caused to enter adraw-head chamber either above or behead, and provided with mechanism for movin g them, (the said catch-levers,) as explained. 2. The combination for operating the two lever-catches D to eifect'disengagement of one of them from a link, 0, such combination consisting of the rock-shaft 70, two crank-wheels, 6, four links, 71., and two cross-bars, g, all arranged and applied, and the rock-shaft having handles, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the lever m, lifter-rod 0, and link it, the rockshaft 70, two crankwheels, 1, four links, h, and two cross-bars, 9, all arranged and to operate essentially as set forth.

LEE L. CHASE. Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, E. B. PRATT. 

